Nashville's Downtown Riverfront Station serves the Music City Star as well as dedicated bus services to other sections of town.

The Lebanon station, on the east end of the route, serves residents and workers in fast-growing Wilson County.

As of April 2008, daily ridership on the Music City Star is 20% higher than it was a year ago! (Figures received from RTA.)

No passenger rail system is complete without coordinated bus connections, and the Music City Star has plenty!

What began as an "experiment" in the summer of 1991 has now become reality for Nashville and Wilson County!

On September 18th, 2006, the Music City Star began weekday commuter rail service from Lebanon, Martha, Mt. Juliet, Hermitage, and Donelson to Nashville's Riverfront Park downtown.

We are very fortunate to welcome this new era of transportation options for Middle Tennessee. In the not-too-distant future, we anticipate seeing additional routes and services for other surrounding counties, including Cheatham, Dickson, Maury, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, and Williamson.

Join TARP and help us promote the expansion of commuter rail and all other forms of rail and mass transit for the benefit of our beloved Volunteer State!

How Commuter Rail Will Benefit Nashville:

The benefits from commuter rail are numerous, to say the least.

• Fuel Conservation and Better Air Quality - as more and more Nashvillians leave their cars at home and ride the train to work, less and less fuel will be wasted on Nashville's road system in typical rush-hour traffic jams. The reduced fuel consumption translates into fewer hydrocarbons released into the air every day.
• Better Real Estate Development - commuter rail will encourage meaningful economic development on a smaller scale. Instead of sprawling businesses up and down the roads and highways, commuter rail will encourage sustainable business districts near train stations which will create jobs and preserve valuable land space. (Update: Civic leaders in Mt. Juliet are designing and planning a transit-friendly downtown business district in the vicinity of the train station!)
• More Productive Workforce - commuter rail will give people in the greater Nashville area a healthier and more pleasant means of getting to work. Instead of white-knuckle driving with road rage, traffic jams, construction delays, and other hassles, Nashville area workers will be able to settle into a comfortable seat, sip their morning coffee, get notes together, collect thoughts, and arrive at work without feeling drained or overstressed. This improvement in productivity will benefit the businesses of Nashville in their quest for a stronger workforce.
• Better Sense of Community - as commuters get to know one another on board the trains, Nashville and the surrounding counties will feel more like a community and less like a group of cars on the highway. This should lead to better community awareness, more meaningful friendships, and a greater appreciation for what makes the area unique. (Update: A Music City Star passenger, Sheila Varga, recently wrote a letter to the Regional Transportation Authority that said "I have made friends and I look forward to the times we share on the Star.")
• Greater Financial Peace - as more and more families depend on commuter rail, a lesser proportion of their income will go toward automobiles. In other words, families will spend less money on fuel, tires, brakes, and repairs. Since family cars will have less wear and tear from daily driving, the cars will last longer and hold their value better. (Update: RTA officials compiled a cost analysis and comparison to show that taking the train cost less than driving a personal automobile. Click here to see the report.)

SUPPORT COMMUTER RAIL!

Help us make the Music City Star the best it can be! Join TARP and help make a difference in Tennessee's quality of life!